The pic was taken in early fall last year. I have very limited ability to change the habitat. Burning is not an option and I don't have a tractor big enough to bushhog that level of undergrowth. Most of the 100 or so acres looks like this other than a creek bottom. It has mature open hardwoods bordering 2 sides of it.

Some good ole fashion hard work and it can be made to a good spot. It has potential!

Looks good to me I guess. Honestly, I dont think it really matters. You can plant a green field anywhere in Alabama, or even the southeast for that matter and see deer.

good for cover not good for food

bedding area I bet

Good to me. Is there water available...?

Yea a creek right in the middle of it. The property has a lower deer density than I expected. I have a few food plots in it that grew well, but the deer didn't hit it very hard. That tells me they aren't starving. I'm just wondering if there is much more that can be done to the place to attract and hold deer. It has water and plenty of cover.

A few bags of golden acorns will solve that problem.

Most of that understory has grown out of the deer's reach. It looks to be mostly woody tree species that need taken out so sunlight can create new plants at ground level.

Not sure where the property is, but I would be willing to bet that the understory is full of honeysuckle and briars. Pretty typical woods where I hunt. Probably lots of sweet gum and overgrown understory for cover. Should be plenty of deer in there.

That's pretty thick, I'm sure it holds some deer. This might take some doing, and you'll probably get scratched up, but try taking a couple long straight hikes across the property until you run into some deer trails. Follow them until you find some intersections - ideally of multiple trails at once. Once you locate the main travel routes this way you can use that information to place stands or more intelligently place the type of cleared lanes you've pictured above. If small cleared lanes like that are located out of the way of their habitual travel routes I doubt they get hit much. Since you are right up in the bedding area with them, you'll have to think through stand approach and wind directions.

You can make your own trails because deer are lazy. You can make a couple of scrapes with a steel rake and pissing in them, make sure it has a licking limb about 5’ above and do not touch it. Also keep your eyes on the holly for big bucks because they love to chew on it and curiously the ONLY plant in North America that contains caffeine.

You’ll see a deer sooner or later unless you are baiting us with the pic.

Nah, I think it wont hold deer for a few years. Tell ya what though...being the nice guy I am...Ill hold your lease for you until it gets good! Give me a call and we can work out the details.


LOL...Just kidding.

Are you kidding me??

I would ALWAYS RATHER HUNT THE BEDROOM THEN THE KITCHEN!

Think about it. Deer spend 90 % of their time in 10% of the cover during daylight hours.

The other 90 % they spend 10% of the time in...MOST IN THE DARK!

That is my wheel house. Where I LIVE! That 10% they are in 90% of the time. I seek it out.

I like to ease in just a little and hunt active runs with buck sign in thick bedding areas. Preferably trails leading to or coming from FOOD SOURCES. Whether ag sources or acorns...

Figure it out. Ease in where your wind wont affect them bedded and shoot some good ones.

Now, I really dont know, but seems to me that might work.

Good luck> ODO out.

(DISCLAIMER : Now...Im not saying I know much about big Bama bucks...however I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express and some guy there named Matt Brock told me some things....)

(There was some other guy there..nighthunter or something..but I could tell he didnt know crap, so just listened to the Brock guy. He was real young...Dont even think he started shaving yet...but dang...he seemed pretty smart. He had lots of big buck pics too...dont know if he ever killed any..)

Yea I'm afraid it is starting to get to that point. It should still be good bedding though. I'm hoping the loggers will come in and thin it one more time. That is when the place will be great.

Jerremy and matt would both tell you that’s crap habitat for growing big bucks. How do I know? That’s what my land looks like and that’s what they told me. Good for holding deer just not growing them

I wouldn't want a thousand acres like that but I'd say a couple hundred would make for some mighty fine hiding places.

And yeah, my friend Outdoor has been listening to someone, .

The pines look too small to climb. It looks like a baby factory to me. I'd stay out of there and hunt trails entering and leaving the pines. I had a place like that and put a tripod on a road that formed an edge. I saw plenty of deer when the came and left. That understory has a lot of food. I'd bet there are also honeysuckle and briars. Deer browse and eat leaves from different plants as they walk. Looks great to me!

Bushhogged lanes and fertilizer.
You can add some preferred browse species if desired by rooting and transplanting .

As mentioned above, the deer are going to use the lanes to travel. So, Plan intersections for stand sites. Use different approach routes and have access & setups for different winds. Stay away unless conditions are right to minimize impact. You could place a feeder or two if desired. But, there is plenty of food there.

I'll go a step farther, bush hog , then disk those lanes.

Good advice!

It will definitely release native seeds from the duff and allow them to sprout and grow.